Our Lady of Guadalupe

The Virgin of Guadalupe is known to be a vision seen by a young Mexican boy, Juan Diego. The vision asked that a church be built at that site in her honor. From her words, Juan Diego recognized the girl as the Virgin Mary.

The boy told the story to the Archbishop of Mexico City who instructed him to return to the hill to ask the “lady” for a miraculous sign to prove her identity. The Virgin told Juan Diego to gather flowers from the top of Tepeyac Hill. Even though it was December, very late in the growing season for flowers to bloom, Juan Diego found Castillian roses, not native to Mexico, on the normally baren hilltop.

The Virgin arranged these flowers in his peasant cloak or tilma. When Juan Diego opened his cloak before the Bishop, the flowers fell to the floor, and on the fabric was the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

In 1999 Pope John Paul II officially named the Virgin of Guadalupe the Patroness of the Americas. Juan Diego was canonised in 2002 and his tilma is displayed in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Today, in the Cathedral Museum here in Santiago de Compostela there is a likeness of Our Lady of Guadalupe displayed. I was very amazed by this finding and though I would share a photo of the image. I was chastized for taking a picture, as photos are not allowed in the museum. But would you expect a girl from New York to know those rules?

7 responses to “Our Lady of Guadalupe”

Hi Arlene, what a wonderful discovery on your last full day! And good for you for taking the photo! You know my attitude – get the shot then worry about the consequences later! It’s a very evocative shot. Bill